Tens of thousands of supporters rallied at the Budapest Pride march, defying a police ban and asserting LGBTQ+ rights under the oppressive policies of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. With estimates of participants between 100,000 and 200,000, this historic turnout signifies a strong public stand against the government's restrictions. Mayor Gergely Karacsony declared the event a municipal gathering, thereby challenging the police ban. The march has become emblematic of broader civil resistance amidst increasing challenges to democracy in Hungary, with numerous ambassadors showing their support amidst a backdrop of political tension leading to upcoming elections.
"This is about much more, not just about homosexuality,...This is the last moment to stand up for our rights," Eszter Rein Bodi, one of the marchers, told the Reuters news agency.
"It is hard to estimate because there have never been so many people at Budapest Pride," Pride president Viktoria Radvanyi told the AFP news agency.
"This isn't just about LGBTQ+ rights, it's also about the right to assemble and about standing up for each other and not allowing [the government] to oppress us," another participant, Blanka Molnar, told the AP news agency.
The annual event has now come to symbolize resistance to a general repression of civil society in Hungary under Orban's nationalist government.
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